Today we are going to talk about how grubs damage your lawn and what you can do on your own to repair it. 

Grub damage can be terrible - you might look at a grub damaged lawn and be instantly overwhelmed and thinking it’s going to be a “big fix”.  Don’t think so fast!  Grub damage can be spot-repaired in no time.  We’ll go over how with you.  

What is Zoysia Grass?

Zoysia Grass is a warm season grass designed to perform really well in warm climates.  Zoysia grass prefers the sun and it is very tolerant of heat and drought. 

Why is Zoysia grass an undesirable grass in the Northeast?

Zoysia Grass is not designed to be in a New England Lawn. When it's cold, Zoysia grass goes dormant.  For 6 months of the year, your lawn will be green and for the other 6 months of the year your lawn will be brown. It has a very low tolerance for shaded areas. 

Zoysia grass can be useful in some areas such as golf courses, beaches, etc but it's often not preferred at homes. Zoysia is a very aggressively spreading grass - it can even sometimes be considered invasive because of its aggressive nature. 

Here at Green Meadow we do a lot of Triple Core Aeration & Seeding and Dormant Seeding.  Sometimes, however, a different kind of seeding might be the best fit for a customer...that’s when we recommend Slice Seeding. 

How do we decide which service to go with?

Generally, if the lawn is 30% or more thick/dense/present we recommend Triple Core Aeration and Seed.  If your lawn is made up of less than 30% desirable grasses, we like to go with Slice Seeding.  For the best results with Slice Seeding, we core aerate first. 

While Slice Seeding often comes at a higher price tag than Aerate and Seeding, there's a reason for it and we’ll explain why. 

Chinch Bugs are a surface insect that thrive in dry weather. These small bugs can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time due to their high reproductive rate. Female Chinch Bugs will lay about 200 eggs!

They live in the thatch layer of a lawn. They feed on the crown of a grass plant - right where your grass meets the soil.  When they feed on grass, they release enzymes that continue to damage the plant even after they are done feasting. These bugs are tiny but can do a lot of damage! 

Don’t confuse bentgrass with turf grass. While it might look like a grass, it falls under the Undesirable Grasses category.  It’s not a turf grass. It has a very shallow root system and can choke out your turf grass as well as invite many other disease, drought or insect related issues to your property. 

Is a winter fertilizer something you really need? Is it worth the money?  The answer is yes! 

It’s arguably the most important fertilizer application for your lawn (especially if you live in Northern climates).  We’ll explain why: 

Regular Fertilizer vs Winter Fertilizer:

What’s the main difference? Fertilizers applied throughout the year are intended to keep your grass growing.  A winter fertilizer is intended to make sure your lawn stores enough food over winter to rapidly grow once Spring comes.

Winter is a tough time for lawns.  A winterizer is a late fall application of fertilizer designed to help lawns store more food to survive winter and improve growth in spring.  It makes these stored nutrients readily available in Spring. This stored food ensures that your lawn is ready for a spring green-up.

What is the disease triangle? 

The disease triangle in lawn care consists of the 3 factors (susceptible host, pathogen spores, environment) that are needed to be present for a lawn disease to exist. If one is missing, a lawn disease will not be present.  

Myth #1: I do not need to Core Aerate my lawn every fall. 

• This all depends on your lawn. If your lawn has a high clay content, we recommend a yearly Core Aeration service. Clay soil will compact when dry.  High traffic areas will also compact more and need aeration.  If you have a healthy, well maintained lawn, you only need Core Aeration services every other year.
  • Why Does My Lawn Need Core Aeration? [Explained]

We have had a ton of rain in the Northeast this July and we are seeing a LOT of disease issues this year because of it.  

Pythium Blight is one in particular that we are seeing a lot of this summer. There are many different strategies for treating Pythium.  The one that we’d like to dive into a bit more today is using Phosphites. 

A lot of people when they hear Phosphite, think Phosphate.  These are not to be confused.  Phosphate fertilizers have become banned in lawn care use in CT.  Phosphorus is a naturally occurring and essential nutrient for plants but increased levels of these nutrients can jeopardize water quality in its run-off.

Pythium is a destructive fungal disease that can spread very quickly in a lawn.  It does the worst of its damage in hot and humid conditions. Pythium, like many other lawn diseases, can do a lot of damage in a short amount of time and is easier prevented than cured.